Bad Company’s Simon Kirke Opens Up About Their Long-Awaited Rock Hall Induction and What Fans Can Expect From the Ceremony
Photo by The Empty Pockets, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A Long Road to Recognition
In 1999, British rock band Bad Company—famed for such 1970s anthems as “Can’t Get Enough,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy,” and “Shooting Star”—became eligible for nomination to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Yet it took roughly 25 years for the band’s founding lineup—singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs, drummer Simon Kirke and bassist Boz Burrell—to receive the induction invitation. Kirke, the only member to remain throughout the band’s classic era, says the moment finally arrived with relief and joy.
“I know that the musicians, for the most part, who had been inducted over the years, wanted us to be in,” he says. “I got the call, I believe, [last] October. My manager, David Spero, said, ‘It looks like you’re going to get nominated.’ And then in February, he told me, ‘Don’t tell anyone, you’re in.’ And I was just over the moon.”
Their induction ceremony is set for November 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. In anticipation, the band releases the tribute album Can’t Get Enough: A Tribute to Bad Company this Friday, featuring a wide range of artists covering their songs.
A Tribute Brings a Fresh Generation On Board
The tribute album gathers artists from multiple genres—The Struts cover “Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy”; Halestorm does “Shooting Star”; Charley Crockett tackles “Bad Company”; HARDY delivers “Ready for Love”; Slash (with Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators) covers “Feel Like Makin’ Love”; and The Pretty Reckless handle the Free-era track “All Right Now.” Kirke says the diversity of contributors struck him.
“The fact that relative youngsters—and anyone under 40 is a youngster to me—wants to cover our songs is a wonderful tribute,” he explains. “I’ve heard some of them, and I’m going, ‘Wow, yeah, they put their own spin on it.’ It’s wonderful that the younger generation has picked up the baton, as it were, and is now running with it. So great.”
The tribute grew from a discussion with publishing company Primary Wave Music, which acquired a stake in Bad Company’s catalog. Kirke describes how they joined the project.
“Larry Mestel [Primary Wave’s founder and CEO] approached me and Paul a couple of years ago and asked, ‘Would we be willing to, etc., etc.?’ We agreed, as did a lot of our contemporaries, because our touring career has pretty much come to an end, and we have to look at it for our families. So that’s what we did. Then a few months later, Robert Dippold [Primary Wave’s president of digital strategy] and Larry called me and said, ‘Look, would you be willing to have these artists, about 10 artists, lined up who really want to do a tribute album to you?’ And we said, ‘Yeah, of course. Absolutely.’”
The Band’s Range and Evolution
Kirke reflects on how the artists and songs chosen for the tribute showcase Bad Company’s stylistic reach—from hard rock to blues and Americana.
“Quite honestly, every generation will have its anti-establishment,” he says. “There’ll always be rock and roll. Because if your parents don’t like it, it’s great. It’s perfect. So that’s why rock and roll has been around since the ’50s. Now we have these ladies and guys who are in their 20s and 30s and they like our music enough. We have influenced them as the Beatles influenced me or Black music, soul music and the blues influenced me and Paul. It’s just another form of influence. I’m just so happy to be involved in this project.”
Kirke and Rodgers themselves appear on the tribute album, joining Def Leppard members Joe Elliott and Phil Collen on the folk-styled track “Seagull” from Bad Company’s 1974 debut album. Kirke recalls how that came together.
“Joe has always been a huge fan of the band, as well as Rick Allen and the guys. It was Paul’s ‘Blackbird,’ if you wish. He just played guitar and tambourine. He did all the vocals. So when I heard that Def Leppard, in particular Joe Elliott wanted to do it, I said, ‘Wow, that’s great.’ So I did like a John Bonham drum track, and it actually worked really well.”
Bittersweet Timing of Induction
While the induction is cause for celebration, Kirke admits the occasion carries a bittersweet tone with the passing of two founding members: Burrell in 2006 and Ralphs in June 2025 at age 81.
“Mick was languishing before he passed away a few months ago,” Kirke recalls. “I always get a bit emotional talking about Mick because I really loved him. I know that he received the news [about the induction] that we had gotten in about a month or three weeks before he passed away. And his first line he managed to say — because he had a stroke — ‘Does that mean we get free hot dogs?’ Mick, funny to the end. It was lovely. He knew before he passed away that we were going to be in the Hall of Fame. So I was pleased for him.”
Kirke also highlights Rodgers’ own health battles, which have impacted the band’s future plans.
“I understand he’s doing well,” Kirke says of Rodgers. “He just cannot stand the rigors of touring and particularly traveling. He kept his condition pretty much under wraps for quite a few years, even from us. We knew that something was wrong when we had our final recording session out in Palm Springs. He couldn’t remember certain lines to a song, and his pitching, which had always been spot on, was way off. And he said, ‘Guys, I don’t feel too good. We’re going to have to cancel this session.’ We didn’t know that would be the very last session. Looking back on it, it was very emotional,” Kirke continues. “He’s one of the all-time greats. I get this question in interviews: Who’s the best? There’s no such thing as the best in music. Some people are absolutely great. And Paul is one of the absolute greatest singers who ever graced the stage. He’s left quite a legacy.”
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The Ceremony and Performance Plans
Fans stirring anticipation want to know: will Kirke and Rodgers perform at the induction ceremony on November 8? Kirke offers a carefully worded response.
“My lips are sealed,” he says. “I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. So we’ll leave it at that. I miss the guy. I mean, I miss his singing. I miss playing in front of people. I just miss getting up on stage. I don’t miss the travel, but I do miss being bathed in that applause.”
Beyond the performance question, the ceremony’s arrival also caps a long-running recognition of the band’s influence. Kirke and Rodgers now stand as the two remaining original members to mark the induction with their peers—from labels, managers and fans—all acknowledging Bad Company’s place in rock history.
As the event approaches, the tribute album release and public respect offer a renewed spotlight on the band’s catalog. The induction night will definitely be a major moment, not just for Kirke but for all who supported the band’s career across decades.
